I BELIEVE that the recent article in the BEN "Stolen cards used at petrol stations" should be treated as a "Wake Up Call" by card companies to improve their system to deter innocent teenagers from being tempted to misuse other people's cards to make easy money.

Relying only on signatures as a security when concluding transactions is now an out-dated system, since fraudsters have the option to use good quality fake ID documents. To solve the problem all card companies have to do is to supply cardholders with their books of personalised security stickers (PSS).

PSS are small computer generated stickers with the cardholder's photo and name printed on them. Other details such as logo, barcode etc. can be included if required. To validate a transaction all a cardholder has to do is to apply one of these personalised stickers to the card transaction slip and countersign, so that the signature is shared between the sticker and document. Even if the name and signature is bogus, the victim will have the option to use photo to get the abuser prosecuted.

You must have realised that if card companies implement the PSS system, card transactions would be virtually 100 pr cent foolproof. For some strange reason card companies have ignored mking the most of the PSS system, when the system would protect them, cardholders and retailers from becoming victims and will save the police fortunes in wasted time and effort. Can anyone give me one good reason why the PSS system will not stamp out card fraud?

Y.K.Raja

Visual Security International Limited,

Fletcher Street, Bolton.